telematics

Key Takeaways

• Telematics data includes location, speed, and event records — but what's available depends on the platform and hardware. Not all systems capture the same data at the same frequency.
• Raw telematics exports are more useful for reconstruction than summary reports. Raw data retains metadata that formatted reports may discard.
• Preserve telematics data promptly after an incident. Rolling overwrite schedules vary by platform and may close before investigators request the data.

Plain-English meaning

Telematics refers to vehicle and driver data collected through connected fleet systems — GPS receivers, engine control module connections, sensors, and in some cases cameras. Common data points include vehicle location at timed intervals, speed, heading, engine status, hard event triggers, and diagnostic codes.

The specific data available depends on the platform, installed hardware, and the carrier's subscription. Data logging frequency also varies significantly — a system recording position every 30 seconds has much lower resolution than one logging every 5 seconds.

In accident documentation

Telematics data can contribute to accident reconstruction where logging frequency and data quality are adequate. It establishes a vehicle's path and speed history, identifies when hard events occurred, and may confirm or complicate accounts of what happened.

Telematics data is one input in reconstruction, not a complete record. It shows what sensors captured at logged intervals — not driver behavior, mechanical condition, or events outside the sensor's scope.

What affects logging quality and data gaps

Logging frequency is the biggest variable in telematics data usefulness. A system recording GPS position every 60 seconds may show a vehicle approaching an intersection but can't establish exactly where it was 30 seconds before impact. Higher-frequency logging — every 5 to 10 seconds — produces data that reconstruction specialists find meaningfully more useful.

Data gaps can occur without a system failure: a vehicle entering a dead zone, a device losing connection, or a network event. A gap doesn't necessarily mean something was deleted — but it requires explanation if the data is reviewed in reconstruction or litigation. Know your system's logging frequency and what conditions can produce gaps.